The review---
You can cook any recipe you
like without salt but will
it taste good? The answer is
probably not. In order to
overcome this, you will have
to make adjustments here and
there, and it's not easy if
you don't have a deft hand
in cooking.

To your
rescue comes a new cook book
by Robyn Webb, You Won't
Believe It's Salt Free, 125
Healthy, Low-Sodium and
No-Sodium Recipes Using
Flavorful Spice Blends,
published by Da Cabo Press.
There are many good sounding
recipes in the book and the
dozen or so color photos
look great. Being a seasoned
cook I can pick out what
makes the recipes work and
if you paid any attention to
the book s title you could
too! It's the little extra
seasoning as in flavorful
spice blends. You can now
trick the tongue.
Professional chefs have been
doing this for years. You be
surprised how extra garlic,
and very little or no salt,
can intensify the flavor. A
boost in flavor comes in the
form of herbs de Provence in
the Herbs de Provence
Squash. Tequila, lime and
honey in the Tequila Lime
Chicken raises the flavor
level in a big way and the
lavender and orange zest in
the Lavender Biscotti dances
on the tongue.

The
author talks salt in the
first chapter of the book
and reminds us of its
potential for causing health
problems if not used in
moderation. Unfortunately
some of us have already been
told by medical
professionals to stop
consuming it for various
reasons. The second chapter
educates us on the
seasonings that are listed
in the book and their usage.
The remaining chapters are
recipes with their
preparation procedures and
each one comes with basic
nutritional information in
the form of a little framed
box.

I chose to test
the above mentioned recipes.
It was straightforward with
the Herbs de Provence
Squash: zucchini and yellow
squash were sliced
lengthwise, rubbed with
olive oil, garlic, herbs de
Provence and sprinkled with
a little crushed red pepper
flakes and grilled. Lemon
wedges were sliced up for
the garnish and to be
squeezed on the grilled
vegetablesyum, the herbs,
hot pepper flakes and lemon
juice tricked my taste
budswho needs salt?

The Tequila Lime Chicken
was another so simple
recipe; chicken legs were
marinated in tequila, lime
juice, olive oil, salt-free
Caribbean Citrus seasoning,
honey and lime zest. This
recipe gives you the choice
to grill outdoors or broil
inside, I chose to broil
them, with great results.
Tasty and nicely cooked, but
next time I'll try grilling
them to add the charred
flavor!

Okay,
dessert time, yes biscotti
can be served by itself for
dessert! And you might say,
well desserts don't have
salt anyway, and you'd be
wrong! Ask any baker or
pastry chef and they will
tell you that without a
little salt their
masterpieces wouldn t taste
so good! In the author's
recipe the combination of
orange zest, honey and
lavender blossoms fools the
palate again. I settled down
with a large freshly made
latte with two shots of
espresso and dipped the
biscotti one after another,
consuming more that I should
havethey were that good!

Treat yourself and buy
the book, you don't have to
be on a salt-free or salt
restricted diet to enjoy it.
There are many creative
recipes and some old
stand-bys too all of which
are easy to prepare. There
are a few that require a bit
more skill but any cook with
some experience can easily
master them all.

Good Cooking likes this
book!Recipes tested---!
Herbs de Provence
Squash

I
was first introduced to herbes de Provence, well, when I was in
Provence! Little beautiful jars of the tantalizing mixture lined
just about every little shop from Arles to Aix en Provence. I
just love having some around whether I end up cooking with it or
not. inhaling the aroma of the herbs, with its hint of lavender,
always brings me back to happy days in sunny France.

GarnishFresh lemon wedges
1. Slice the zucchini
and yellow squash lengthwise into long, 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Place the slices in a single layer on two large baking pans.
2. Place the garlic and oil in a small saucepan and cook over
medium-tow heat for 6 to 7 minutes. just until fragrant. Add the
herbes de Provence.3. Pour the oil mixture evenly over all
the zucchini and yellow squash and let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare an outdoor grill. Coat the grill rack with cooking
spray. Heat the grill to medium-high. Carefully place the
zucchini and yellow squash on the grill, arranging them so the
slices do not fall through the grill rack. Cook the squash until
browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Serve the squash with lemon
wedges.

Herbs de Provence is a mix of dry herbs typical
of the Provence region in Southeast France.The mix varies
varies widely and usually includes basil, fennel seed, lavender,
oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme. Although it traditionally
is a blend of dried herbs, fresh herbs can also be used.

This is one
of those wonderful fix-and forget recipes. In just a few hours,
chicken legs are infused with a zesty South of the Border flavor
with a kick from the marriage of tequila and Caribbean Citrus
seasoning. A very versatile marinade; try this with beef, pork,
or lamb as well.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill with the rack set
about 6 inches from the heat source. Set the heat to
medium-high. Coat the grill rack with cooking spray. Or prepare
an oven broiler with the rack set 6 inches from the heat source.
Cover a broiler tray with aluminum foil and coat the foil with
cooking spray.

3. Add the chicken legs and grill or broil
for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to an
internal temperature of 180 degrees F. If the chicken appears
dry as it cooks, brush each leg with a little olive oil.